ROCK-YER-BLOCK presents R|Y|B

R|Y|B Custom Shop

Here you can find all our brand partners and all the products that we create in house at R|Y|B. All the Rock Yer Block Services and Brands in one place.

RYB is bent on bringing you products and services for the creative and musically minded. We produce our own line of handmade and regionally sourced products that feature the work of or are representational of marginalized artists and performers. Promotional items that can be customized by you for your band or venue. We offer in-house design and printing capabilities for T Shirts, Pins and Buttons, Stickers, Magnets and a ton of other products. We offer small run custom designs and can tailor low cost promo packages to meet your needs. Look at some of the designs we have in stock and then give us a call or stop by the shop.

- Where we stand on R|Y|B|'s advocacy mission -

As of 2025, the gig economy continues to thrive, with millions of individuals participating in a variety of short-term, flexible jobs across sectors like transportation, delivery, and freelance work. However, performers in this space face significant challenges. Many grapple with income instability, as pay can vary widely based on demand, platform fees, and competition. Additionally, the lack of traditional employment benefits, such as health insurance and retirement plans, leaves gig workers vulnerable to financial insecurity. Moreover, the increasing automation and consolidation of gig platforms can further marginalize independent performers, often limiting their bargaining power and access to fair wages. As regulatory frameworks evolve, many gig workers advocate for better protections and a more equitable working environment, highlighting the need for policies that recognize their contributions and safeguard their rights.

Another look at 2025, sees visual artists participating in the gig economy encountering a unique set of challenges that complicate their ability to thrive. The oversaturation of digital platforms has led to fierce competition, making it difficult for individual artists to stand out and secure consistent work. While online marketplaces offer exposure, they often come with high fees and commissions that cut into artists' earnings. Additionally, the unpredictable nature of gig work means that income can fluctuate dramatically, leaving artists without a reliable financial foundation. Many also face the challenge of intellectual property theft, as their work can be easily copied or misused in the digital realm without proper compensation. Furthermore, the absence of traditional benefits like health insurance and retirement savings makes it harder for visual artists to invest in their well-being and future. Despite these hurdles, many artists continue to adapt by cultivating niche markets and leveraging social media to build their personal brands, but the struggle for fair compensation and recognition remains a persistent concern in the evolving gig landscape.

There is a need to bring independently produced products to market. Etsy and other on line services offer a platform but its the App developers and company’s producing the sites that make the most money. Meanwhile artists continue to struggle with understanding how to market themselves and that’s where we are now, in 2025, answering the questions like, “what’s next in digital marketing”, “how do I cost affectively saturate an area with promotions”, “should I produce merch”, “what is the best merch for my market”, “how do you develop brand loyalty and increase new followers, fans an patrons?!?”.

How we Started

Rock Yer Block is a philanthropic organization that began with a mission is to bring musicians together to raise awareness for brain injury survivors using the public platforms as protected under The First Amendment. As the organization and our membership grew we realized there were more than just ABI/TBI survivors that needed guidance and support in a Gig Economy.

The Pre 501(c)3 R|Y|B

Rock Yer Block and was founded in 2015 by guitarist and singer Adelaide Punkin to support ABI and TBI survivors with a public voice, fundraising opportunities and community outreach. Adelaide continues to be a pint sized force to be reckoned with as she tours to promote the mission of Rock Yer Block. <a class=">How we Started

The Pre 501(c)3 R|Y|B

As Adelaide and the mission gained stream we realized it wasn’t just ABI/TBI artists who needed a voice. There were a ton of artists who felt marginalized by their dependence on a gig economy.

In response Rock Yer Block launched The Busk Stop Torrington a Busking and Street Performance project to support Performing Artists effected by the Covid Pandemic. Rock Yer Block, The City Of Torrington, The Northwest CT Arts Council, Art Life Culture and The Torrington Collective worked together to bring this amazing project to CT. The Busk Station was located 42 Main St Torrington along with the Rock Yer Block Retail Shop which provided a permanent pop up space for local artists to display their retail merchandise. The space also provided street level buskers access to perform when they had no regular scheduled gigs. This created a safe marketable location for local performers to go to talk about creative options for a creative economy.

By 2024 the Busking Program had taken root in Torrington, Covid was over, and Rock Yer Block Needed a change to adapt to the new question that was now hovering around the shop. How do we keep helping artists to produce merchandise to earn an income in the current Gig Economy. How can we expand an artists ability to produce products and manage their own merchandise and promotions.

The Small Batch Cafe was born! This is a virtual and real world space where artists meet, collaborate and sell their products. It’s A market, a shared work space, full time retail shop with pop-up makers fairs and concerts. The Cafe operates like a real world cafe.

Things like art, music, jewelry and other crafts are produced and sold on site right along side artisan drinks, pastries and confections.

Find a Small Batch Cafe near you…. Click Here!

Providing Creative Services for individuals or organizations that are marginalized in Gig Economy.